Clothesline reel



July 1,1947. COLE ET AL CLOTHESLINE REEL Filed Jul z', 1945 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l D k T l I l 1 z z z IJHZQIZG INVEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "lll.lfezer zee w INVENTORS.

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July 1, 1947- H. COLE ET AL CL'OIHES'LINE REEL Filed July 2, 1945 #2 Tim-m Patented July 1, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESLINE REEL Harry Cole, Andover, and Emery L. Kezertee, Conneaut, Ohio 2 Claims.

This invention relates to clothesline reels of that type wherein the clothesline will be wound automatically when released at one end.

An object of the invention is to provide a clothesline reel which can be supported close to but outside of a window but which is readily accessible by a person within a room, it being possible to swing the reel into and out of position within the window opening as necessary.

A still further object is to provide a reel with a combination cover and rope or 1ine guide, said cover being readily removable without detaching the reel from its supporting shaft.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings,

Figure 1 is a planview of the device mounted in a. support.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevation of a portion of one side of the cover frame.

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6, Figure 5.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates a supporting bracket formed of a single length of metal set to provide upper and lower attaching bases 2 and 3 spaced apart by an angular intermediate portion 4 in which are provided aligned upper and lower openings 5. The lower end of the base portion 3 has an ear 6 which extends under the openings 5 and constitutes a supporting bearing for a pin 1 which is insertible downwardly within the openings 5 and is adapted to rotate therein. The upper end of this pin 1 has an arm 8 at right angles thereto provided with an extension 9 lying in the plane in which the arm 3 is adapted to swing about the axis of the pin 1. From the extension 9 is extended a bearing pin or shaft [0 which occupies the same plane with arm 8 and its extension 9 and is preferably substantially parallel with the arm 8.

Mounted for rotation on the shaft I0 is a drum or spool ll having a concentric tubular core or hub portion l2 extending from one side to the other of the spool and fixedly joined thereto. In this hub there is located a helical spring formed preferably of a strip of steel or other suitable material Wound spirally back and forth upon the shaft so that a considerable number of rotations of the spool thus is permitted during the unwinding of the spring. One end of the spring is attached to the shaft III while the other end is attached to the hub, as has been shown in Figure 4.

The spool is proportioned to hold any desired number of convolutions of a clothes line l4, one end of which is secured in any suitable manner to the drum, it being understood that the line is completely wrapped about the hub and between the sides of the spool when the spring is under the least tension. However, by pulling the line from tliespool, the tension of the spring will be gradually increased so that when the line is released it will be automatically rewound on the spool.

An arcuate cover l5 overlies the upper portion of the spool and is concentric therewith, this cover being provided at one end with a guide loop l6 through which the line I4 is extended freely. The ends of the cover are joined at the sides by strip IT and I1, one of which has an opening I8 for receiving the free end of the shaft II] to which the strips can be held by means of a cotter pin IS. The opposite end portion of the shaft 10 is seated in a slot extended into the other side strip ll of the cover and slidable on this other side strip is a key 2| in the form of a, sleeve having a longitudinal slot 22 in one end so located and proportioned that when the sleeve is moved in one direction, it will straddle the shaft l0 and prevent said shaft from moving into the slot 20. However, by shifting the sleeve away from its position across slot 20, the side strip H can be lifted off of the shaft l0 while the other side stri H can be sprung outwardly, as indicated by broken lines at 23 in Figure 1 so as to become disengaged from the shaft after the cotter pin I9 has been removed. Thus it becomes possible to separate the cover [5 from the spool or drum should it be desired to attach or remove the line.

In practice, the pin 1 is inserted into its supporting bracket so that the reel thu is free to be swung laterally into the window openin 0 as will be apparent by referring to Figure 1. It can easily be removed from position while thus located and the operation of placing the reel in position is of course expedited as a result of this construction. After the reel has been hun as explained, the far end of the line can be attached to a suitable hook or other fastening means located at a remote point and when a load of clothes or other fabrics are placed on the line, said line can be extended upwardly to and looped about a hook H extending from the wall or other structure at a point above the drum, and as clearly shown in Figure 2. Thus this hook and not the sprin in the reel will take the weight of the load until such time as it is desired to reel in the line so as to protect it from the elements.

It will be noted that the cover I5 is provided with a stop ear 24 adapted to bear on the extension 9 to limit the rotation of the cover upon the shaft ID in one direction.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a supporting bracket,

a pin mounted for rotation in the bracket, an

arm extended from the pin and having an an gular extension, and a shaft extending from said extension and substantially parallel with the arm, of a spring-restrained clothesline reel rota'tably mounted on the shaft, an arcuate cover pivotally mounted on the shaft, and means for detachably securing said cover to the shaft at points beyond the sides of the reel.

2. The combination with a clothesline reel having a concentric tubular hub, a line secured to the hub and adapted to be wound thereon, and a coiled spring within the hub and secured at one end to the hub, of a shaft extending through the hub and beyond the sides of the reel, said spring being secured at it other end t0 the shaft and adapted to be placed under increased tension when the line is unreeled, a support, an angular connection between one end of the shaft and the support, an arcuate cover concentric with a portion of the reel and mounted to swing relative to the reel, a line guide carried by one end of the cover, a side strip on the cover having an opening for the reception of one end of the shaft, means for holding said side strip on the shaft, said means being detachable, said side strip being bendable for disengagement from the shaft when the fastening means is removed, another side strip at the other side of the cover having a slot positioned to receive one end portion of the shaft, and a sleeve slidably mounted on the slotted side strip and having a shaft receiving slot, said sleeve constituting mean for holding the shaft in the slot.

HARRY COLE. EMERY L. KEZERTEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

